Exclusive – Watson: ‘Hamilton and Alonso are head and shoulders above the other drivers’

Former F1 racer John Watson has told talkSPORT Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are the top two drivers on the grid.

McLaren ace Hamilton won a thrilling German Grand Prix on Sunday, with Ferrari's Alonso a close second, and Watson believes the old team-mates are head and shoulders above the rest of the field.

That is despite the fact Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who finished fourth at the Nurburgring, is still 77 points ahead at the top of the driver rankings and well on course to retain the drivers' title.

Speaking to the Sports Breakfast, Watson said: "Two drivers yesterday I thought were outstanding, Lewis Hamilton, clearly, but also Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari and those two drivers, in my opinion, are head and shoulders above the others.

"That's including Mark Webber, who is a great driver, and Sebastian Vettel, who is leading the World Championship even now by 77 points."

Hamilton, who started second on the grid in Germany, overtook Webber at the start, then lost the lead before again managing to leapfrog the Red Bull driver to secure victory.

And Watson added: "It was a great drive. Just think back two weeks at the British Grand Prix, Lewis was absolutely devastated. He was complaining about not enough fuel in the car, complaining about not enough grip on the car, and two weeks later he dominates the German Grand Prix.

"It was a classic Lewis Hamilton drive and what a great pleasure to see a racing driver doing what it says on the the job description; racing."